The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an amazing game. It takes everything that made its predecessor great and expands upon it, introducing new breathtaking locations to explore and captivating stories to unravel. The fresh gameplay mechanics that come with Link's new abilities also opened up a whole new world of possibilities.
Sure, there's plenty to get excited about in terms of the vast exploration opportunities the game offers. The region you can explore is larger than ever before, and it's easy to get lost in its beauty. And let's not forget about the Ultrahand ability, which adds a whole new level of crafting and fun to the mix.
But what really have become the highlight for me in the game are the shrine puzzles. Also thanks to Link's newfound skills, the shrine challenges have presented a whole new level of enjoyment by providing a wide range of mind-bending puzzles that will truly put your cognitive abilities to the test. Although it seems like there’s still a few shrines that I have yet to uncover, below are among the ones that have left a profound impression on me as of yet (ordered alphabetically):
- Domizuin Shrine – A Prone Pathway
The Domizuin Shrine was a challenging puzzle that burnt a lot of my brain cells. In this shrine challenge, you’ll have to reach the goal at the top of the rotating cage, which could be manipulated by two switches that spin the cage along different axis. The tricky part was figuring out how to reach the top of the cage while also ensuring that there was a solid platform to step on towards the end.
It took me quite some time to realize that I needed to position the cage in a way that allowed me to Ascend using the platform inside. Initially, I thought I could stand on a platform and let it bring me upwards as I rotate the cage, but gravity wasn't having any of that silly idea. Visualizing the rotation of the cage in my mind was also a challenging task. Overall, the Domizuin Shrine really pushed the limits of my brainpower.
- Kamatukis Shrine – A Precise Strike
Welcome to Kamatukis Shrine, a.k.a. the golf challenge. This enjoyable puzzle is all about getting those balls into the holes. However, you'll need to combine a massive block with a pendulum to make yourself a makeshift “golf club”. Then, using the Ultrahand, pull the contraption backward and release it to give the ball a powerful swing, aiming to land it in the designated hole.
As fun as it might sound, the catch is that it’s almost definitely going to take you a few attempts before you hit the target just right. You'll need to find the sweet spot, hitting the ball at a specific angle and with just the right amount of force. It can be frustrating, but I must admit, I had a blast trying to figure out that perfect way to nail the shot.
- Kikakin Shrine – Shining in Darkness
The moment I stepped foot in the shrine, I knew I was in for a treat. Why? Because I couldn’t see anything! The Kikakin Shrine is a unique pitch-black maze that provides you with only a Zonai Torchlight for navigation (thankfully, you could still use Brightbloom seeds to light up your surroundings). The ultimate goal is located right near the entrance, but it's locked behind a door, indicating that you'll need to find a key of some sort.
The main challenge of this puzzle is the fact that you can't see a darn thing. You have to rely on either mapping out the path in your head or strategically placing Brightbloom seeds to mark the paths that you’ve taken. There are even traps lurking in the darkness, but honestly, I found the whole thing more exciting than difficult. It felt like a mini horror game amidst Link's otherwise happy adventure (Princess Zelda: Am I a joke to you?). Oh, and let's not forget about the five treasure chests (instead of just one) waiting for you in Kikakin Shrine.
- Kyokugon Shrine – Alignment of the Circle
I hate this shrine. I hate it because it’s so simple. I hate it because it’s so simple, yet so hard to figure out. Welcome to the Kyokugon Shrine, where they give you four metal balls and ten holes to stick them in. You'd think there's some clear and obvious pattern or clue to help you figure out which holes are the right ones. Well, good luck with that.
I wasted a good ten minutes trying out every ridiculous combination my silly brain could come up with, hoping that just maybe one of them would magically work. But nope, I was just a fool, moving the balls around aimlessly. And let me tell you, when I finally cracked the code, I was beyond mad. I was livid because the answers is right there, but I failed to notice it. Talk about a facepalm moment. So, here's a friendly tip: if a puzzle went over your head, make sure you take a careful 360-degree look around for hints. Lesson learnt the hard way.
- Mayachin Shrine – A Fixed Device
Forget about the annoying shrines! Let's dive back into the enjoyable side of these puzzles. Next up is the Mayachin Shrine which also features a sports-like mini-game, but this time it’s baseball. Just like the golf challenge we talked about earlier, the goal here is simple: smack that ball right towards the target. However, this time we're using a makeshift baseball bat. There are some Zonai Stakes and cylinders scattered around the field, so go ahead and get creative with your Ultrahand.
But guess what? The bat just wasn't cutting it for me, so I decided to ditch the bat and grab a racket that I fashioned out of that handy platform we hopped on earlier in the puzzle instead. Surprisingly, using the racket was a breeze compared to the clunky bat. It made me scratch my head and wonder what all those cylinders lying around were even for. As fun as it was, it’s worth mentioning that the hardest obstacle for me in the puzzle was actually … the bottomless pit in front of the switch. I swear I was too focused on the puzzle itself that I kept forgetting about the pit’s existence.
- Mayak Shrine – Timely Catches
Coming right up is the Mayak Shrine, where you’ll have to land the giant falling sphere onto the target by activating the platform that the target’s on. The first phase is pretty simple as you can actually see when the ball’s about to land on the target, in order to time your activation.
The real test awaits you in the second phase of the puzzle, where you’ll have to jump towards the highest point of the puzzle and place the ball on the slide. Then, you'll need to swiftly descend and reach the switch to activate the platform. But be careful: due to the significant height difference between the ball and the target, you'll have to time your switch activation just right. It's up to you to figure out the perfect delay. By the way, make sure you land on the correct platform, or you'll find yourself back at square one, jumping all the way back to the top.
- Tadarok Shrine – Fire and Water
At its core, the Tadarok Shrine is a straightforward challenge where you have to piece together blocks to create a platform that allows you to Ascend towards the ultimate destination. Sounds easy, right? Well, here's the twist: each block is made of different materials, including metal, ice, and wood. As if that's not enough, there are traps like flamethrowers and electrified water blocking your path. To conquer this puzzle, you'll need to carefully consider the order in which you stack the blocks, as one wrong move and it could all come crashing down.
This shrine is an interesting puzzle that brilliantly showcases the game's intricate physics system. Take the metal block, for instance. It's fireproof, so it's a no-brainer to position it in front of the flamethrower, shielding your stack of blocks from harm. On the other hand, both the ice and wooden are susceptible to fire, so you have to come up with a clever strategy to move them onto the metal block without letting them get scorched. But it just so happens that the ice and wooden blocks could float on water, so you can place one of them in the water as a foundation for you to stand on before Ascending to the top. It's all about leveraging the unique properties of each block and finding the perfect sequence to stack them up.
- Tukarok Shrine – Forward Force
For me, Tukarok Shrine is hands down one of the hardest shrine that I’ve encountered. This shrine is divided into three phases, and the ultimate goal is to move the ball to the hole at the end and unlock the final door. The first phase was a piece of cake, just moving the ball across the lava using a vehicle. The third phase was relatively straightforward too, only requiring you to construct a paddle boat using wheels and wooden boards provided.
The real headache lies within the second phase. It presents a sliding platform and a set of scaffolds, hinting that you need to secure the platform on the scaffolds using the given materials to prevent it from sliding back down. I spent a good chunk of time racking my brain over this puzzle, until it suddenly hit me that I could actually skip the whole thing by attaching a board underneath the vehicle that I used earlier, effectively fixing it onto the scaffolds. Sometimes, the solution to a seemingly insurmountable challenge is right under our noses. Tukarok Shrine definitely taught me the value of thinking outside the box and exploring unconventional approaches.
Closing remarks:
Having almost completed all the shrines in Tears of the Kingdom (that’s according to those who claim that there’s a total of 152 shrines in the game), I am still awestruck by the fact there’s never been a single puzzle that feels repetitive or demands a similar solution. For those who enjoy open-world exploration gameplay, or those who relish the freedom to unleash their creativity through crafting, as well as those like me who revel in the challenge of testing their cognitive skills with mind-bending puzzles, Nintendo has managed to strike a perfect balance, offering something for everyone. It's truly a testament to the dedication of the game’s designers that they've created such a rich and varied experience, and I can't wait to see what other surprises await me as I approach the completion of all the shrine puzzles.
And that concludes Lluvia’s thoughts on the Shrine gameplay in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
